Society and Culture

Modi and Madrasa… Sounds odd? The one an anathema to the other? That’s what the Congress, RJD, SP, BSP and other divisive parties like the TMC besides self-appointed messiahs of the Indian Muslim community would like us to believe.

A fatwa by the Darul Uloom Deoband has again put the common Indian Muslim in a bind. According to the fatwa, saying “Bharat Mata ki Jai” is not in consonance with Islam — representing the country as a goddess and raising slogans hailing her are forbidden.

I am an outsider in politics, as I described myself in my political memoir. Somehow I have not written about two very precious experiences as a three-term parliamentarian in my book. Recent shameful episodes revealing the influence of money in politics have engendered a sense of cynicism about the quality of our democracy. It is this disenchantment with politics that brought back memories of two heart-warming moments in my election campaigns.

Pakistan is going through a difficult period in its history. “We are engaged in an active war,” said Hina Rabbani Khar, Pakistan’s articulate former foreign minister, in her keynote address at the just-concluded Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF).

Modi threatening idea of India, stifling dissent: Manmohan Singh

Nur Jahan: Amazing tale of widow who became Empress of India

India and EU: The devil lies in the (trade) deal

About us

South Asia Monitor (SAM) - a property of the Society for Policy Studies (SPS - www.spsindia.in), an independent think-tank based in New Delhi - is an independent web journal and online resource dealing with strategic, political, security, cultural and economic issues about, pertaining to and of consequence to South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region. .Developed for South Asia watchers across the globe or those looking for reliable resource and documentation on this region, SAM features exclusive spotlights, insightful analyses, interviews and reviews contributed by strategic experts, diplomats, journalists, analysts, researchers and students.